Explosive valve for blast-furnaces



(No Model.) 1

T. COULTAS. EXPLOSIVE VALVE FOB. BLAST PURNAGES.

Patented Feb. 4-, 1896.

' @AQA.

m wll 1 3 l I. F

EWQFFIW,

Q Y M NITED STATES.

'ATENT FFICE.

THOMAS OOULTAS, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 553,956, dated February 4, 1896. Application filed A ril 4, 1895. Serial No. 544,408. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS COULTAS, a

- resident of Pittsburg, in the county of Alle gheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Explosion-Valves for Blast-Furnaces; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to explosion-valves for blast-furnaces.

It is well known that in the operation of blast-furnaces there is great danger of gas explosions, which always result in damage to the furnaces and often in loss of life.

The object of my invention is to provide an explosion-valve of such construction and located in such position that it will act immediately the explosion takes place to relieve the pressure and prevent damage to the structure.

To these ends my invention comprises certain improvements in such valves, all of which will be fully hereinafter set forth and claimed.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention I will describe the same more fully, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a verticalv section of my improved explosion-valve. Fig. 2 is'a top view thereof. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a view of the upper part of a portion of a blast-furnace with my invention applied thereto.

Like letters indicate like parts in each of the figures.

My invention is applicable to any of the or dinary forms of blast-furnaces. The upper part of such a furnace is illustrated in Fig. 4, in which a represents the bell closing the hopper b in the ordinary manner and connected by the rod c to suitable mechanism for lowering and raising said bell. A charging-platform d surrounds the hopper b, and around the said platform is the fence 6.

Leading from the upper end of the furnace is the downtake-pipe f, which carries off the gas to the stoves or other point of combustion. A pipe g is connected to the clowntake fat about the highest point in said downtake, just about where it begins to descend. The pipe 9 has the brickwork lining It.

An annular valve-seat i is attached to the upper end of the pipe g. A valve 7c, of cast iron or other suitable metal, seats itself on the seat 2', said valve having openings 1 formed .pass through openings in said tongues r r.

Interposed between the lower faces of the tongues r and the nuts .9 on said rods q are the springs I. These rods form guides for the valve 7c and limit the upward movement of same.

Secured to the pipe 9 is the frame composed of the vertical angle-bars u, connected by like horizontal bars 0.

WVhile the rods q in a measure guide the valve 713 as it travels up and down, yet I prefer the additional guides formed by the vertical bars a. For this purpose the valve khas formed thereon the lugs w, which move up and down within the guides formed by said bars a. r

A lug a: on the valve 70 has secured thereto a rope or chain 3 which passes up over a pulley y in the frame, and thence down over the pulley 1 A weight 2' is secured to the end of the rope y. A shelf 2', secured to the pipe g, forms a support for the weight 2. The weight of the valve 70 is sufficient, under the ordinary pressure of the gas in the pipe g, to maintain it on the seat '1 and hold the Weight z in its elevated position.

The weight ,2 may be made in sections, and if the pressure in the pipe increases, with a tendency to unseat the valve 70, one of the sections may be removed.

Vhen the furnace is in operation, under ordinary circumstances, the gas passes down the downtake f to the point of combustion, but in case of an explosion within the furnace the valve 70 will be raised by the force of same. The clack-valves 172 will open first and relieve the shock on the valve is and consequently the strain on the rods q, as said valve will not need to rise so high. The weight 2 will seat itself on the shelf .2 and relieve the valve 70. After the pressure occasioned by the explosion has subsided the valve 7; can lower itself, the weight I: preventing it seating itself with any degree of force. The springt relieves the jar on the valve as it rises. By having the pipe 9 at the upper end of the downtake f and adjacent to the throat of the furnace when an explosion takes place the pressure on the bell and hopper is quickly relieved. Although there are no outlets directly over the charge in the furnace yet the pipe g is sufficiently near to relieve the pressure at once on the parts of the structure above the charge. If the explosion-valve is located within the space above the charge, in case of an explosion the men on the platform are liable to injury. By my invention, however, no injury to the workmen can result.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an explosion-valve for blast-furnaces, the combination with the downtake-pipe, of a vertical pipe leading from the upper end of said downtake, a valve at the upper end of said pipe, rods passing through said valve and through projections on said pipe, and springs interposed between said projections, and shoulders on said rods, substantially as set forth.

2. In an explosion-valve forblast-fu rnaces, the combination with the downtake-pipe, of a vertical pipe leading from the upper end of said downtake, rods passing through said valve and through projections on said pipe, springs interposed between said projections and shoulders on said rods, a weight, and connections between said valve and weight, substantially as set forth.

In explosion-valves for blast-furnaces the combination with the downtake-pipe, of a vertical pipe leading from the upper end of said downtake, a valve at the upper end of said pipe, rods passing through tongues on said valve and through corresponding tongues on said pipe, springs interposed between said last-mentioned tongues and shoulders on said rods, lugs on said valve, uprights extending above said pipe and supported thereby, said uprights forming guides for said lugs, sub stantially as set forth.

4;. In explosion-valves for blast-furnaces, the combination with the downtalce-pipe, of a vertical pipe leading from the upper end of said downtake, a valve at the upper end of said pipe, rods passing through said valve and through proj eetions on said pipe, springs interposed between said projections and shoulders on said rods, a frame supported by said pipe, a rope secured to said valve and passing up over a pulley in said frame, a second pulley over which said rope passes, and a weight at the end of said rope, substai'itially as set forth.

5. In explosion-valves for blast-furnaces, the combination with the downtake-pipe, of

-. a vertical pipe leading from the upper end of said downta-ke, a valve at the upper end of said pipe, rods passing through said valve and through projections on said pipe, springs interposed between said projections and shoulders on said rods, a frame supported by said pipe, a rope secured to said valve and passing up over a pulley in said frame, a second pulley over which said rope passes, a weight at the end of said rope, and a shelf secured to said pipe and adapted to support said weight when lowered, substantially as r set forth.

In testimony whereof I, the said THOMAS GOULTAS, have hereunto set my hand.

THOMAS COULFAS. Witnesses:

Ronr. D. TOTTEN, ROBERT C. TOTTEN. 

